One of the fastest-growing crimes in the world is undoubtedly cybercrime and it continues to impact businesses in all industries. Paying close attention to cybersecurity is a meticulous act every business should take to avoid the risk of a security breach.

It may be a challenge to make sure you are protected from cyberattacks as these cybercriminals are endlessly looking for new ways to expose security risks, but there are a number of ways to prevent this intrusion of privacy.

Adept has taken the liberty to enumerate a few tips so you can keep your cybersecurity top of mind.

1. Keep Your Software Up to Date

Patching outdated software, both operating systems, and applications is a critical move to help protect you against ransomware attacks. This helps remove possible liabilities that hackers use to access your devices:

  • Turn on automatic system updates for your device
  • Make sure your desktop web browser uses automatic security updates
  • Make sure to use up-to-date browser plug-ins

2. Keep Hardware Up to Date

Keeping your data safe is important for any business. Outdated computer hardware may not support the most recent software security upgrades. Furthermore, old hardware makes it slower to respond to cyber-attacks if they happen. Make sure to use computer hardware that’s more up-to-date. Apart from having to mitigate hardware or software risks, the rapid growth of cybercrime makes it vital for businesses to back up their data.

3. Back up Important Data

Securing your office building from unwanted guests or threats is a no-brainer. Likewise, securing your data should be your number one priority. Making certain your data is frequently backed up on the cloud can protect the personal information of customers or employees and prevent sensitive information from falling into the hands, enabling them to gain access to your network.

4. Avoid Phishing Scams

Spear phishing is a targeted cyberattack toward an individual or organization with the end goal of receiving confidential information for fraudulent purposes. If an email looks suspicious, don’t open it. Someone might be impersonating another individual or company to gain access to your personal information. Sometimes the emails may also include attachments or links that can infect your devices.

Adept proudly uses Mimecast cloud cybersecurity services for email, data, and the web. We provide your organization with archiving and continuity needed to prevent compromise.

5. Use Anti-Virus Protection

The most common solution to fight malicious attacks has been Anti-virus (AV) protection software. AV is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including computer viruses, worms, and trojan horses compromising your data. Only install these programs from a known and trusted source. Keep virus definitions, engines and software up-to-date to ensure your programs remains effective.

Adept proudly provides ESET Internet Security. ESET Internet Security provides record-breaking, fast antivirus with unique detection technology. It has a small system footprint and banking protection and is the ultimate vulnerability shield.

6. Use Firewall Protection

Firewalls provide protection against outside cyber attackers by shielding your computer or network from malicious or unnecessary network traffic. Firewalls can also prevent malicious software from accessing a computer or network via the internet.

Our Adept FIREWALL is a colossal fortification which stretches from the Southside of the WEB along the northern border of the Kingdom of the WEB, separating your precious data from the domain of the wildlings or cybercriminals who live beyond the WEB. In short, Adept can protect your data with our firewall…GOT it?

7. Your First Dog’s Name Should Never Be Your Password

Passwords provide the first line of defence against unauthorized access to your computer and personal information. The stronger your password, the more protected your computer will be from hackers and malicious software. You should maintain strong passwords for all accounts on your computer. (Use a password manager – add information)

8. Outsourcing the Management of Your IT

In this day and age, every modern company has growing volumes of valuable data. Outsourcing the management of your IT is the ideal solution to help you achieve maximum results from your hardware and software and will help protect your business against cyberattacks.

We hope you found these tips to be helpful in keeping your cybersecurity top of mind and in mitigating your risk from a security breach. ADEPT is an integrated ICT provider. We come out on top when giving you, and you alone complete ownership of your data. Contact 021 888 6500 or sales@adept.co.za for more information.